The Perfect Killer
by musique-du-soleil
Summary: Troy Bolton is a well trained, successful assassin assigned to the biggest mission he's had to face: to take the life of the President's daughter, Gabriella Montez. But when it all boils down to pulling the trigger, can he do it?
1. Trailer

The Perfect Killer

Summary: Troy Bolton is a well trained, successful assassin assigned to the biggest mission he's had to face: to take the life of the President's daughter, Gabriella Montez. But when it all boils down to pulling the trigger, can he do it? So much for the perfect killer, right?

Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, only the plot.

A/N:Here's the trailer! I hope you like the story!

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_Trailer_

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**He'd killed more people than anyone could fathom...**

_Shows Troy surveying his gun collection, then pulling one off the wall_

**The possibilities were endless..there were politicians, professors, doctors, lawyers, mob members, even innocent bystanders..**

_Shows the view from outside in a restaurant,the window breaking__, then a man falling face first into a bowl of soup_

_Shows a woman clutching her chest as she staggered to the ground  
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**He never missed a beat**_**...**_

_Shows Troy doing his signature move, blowing the ejecting smoke from the barrel of his gun_

**Until now..**

_Shows an elite cocktail party, screen pans to Gabriella Montez exiting a limo as the surrounding bystanders go wild as she's escorted inside_

_Shows Troy staring in shock and raising an eyebrow_

**Assassins are specially designed to murder by surprise attack, to carry out a plot kill a prominent person**

_Shows a television image of the future President of the United States of America, Gregory Montez, being sworn in with his daughter, Gabriella, sitting behind him._

**When he breaks the rules, and falls in love...**

_Shows Gabriella looking at Troy in confusion, _"Who are you?!"_  
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"We need to get out of here..now"_ Shows Troy spotting a bright laser mark on the front of Gabriella's neck and tackles her, pushing her away._

**He'll do his damnedest..**

_Shows Troy sprinting down the street's sidewalk, knocking people over_

**To save the one he loves..**

_Shows Troy looking on in secret at Gabriella standing and chatting with another man_

**Zac Efron**

_Shows Troy hoisting Gabriella up against a wall, kissing all over her neck_

**Vanessa Hudgens**

_Shows Gabriella smiling as the cameras flash  
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**Ashley Tisdale**

_Shows Sharpay looking around suspiciously in a dark alley when a light is put on her  
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_Shows Sharpay with a hand over her mouth as she struggles to pull it off_

"This is what you wanted isn't it, the single spotlight?"_  
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**Lucas Grabeel**

"He's not who you think, Gabriella.."

_Shows Ryan falling into a pool_

**Coming soon to a computer near you..**

"I love you,"_ Troy whispers from above her. _"I fucking love you."

"Then show me." _Gabriella whispers back, pulling his mouth to hers to engage in a heated, lusty kiss._

**He risks losing it all..for her.**

_Shows Troy tied to a chair, struggling to break free and halting as he feels the cold feeling gun's barrel pointed to his temple  
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**The Perfect Killer**_

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I hope you guys will like this story! I'm eager to start it!_  
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	2. Prologue

_The Perfect Killer_

Summary: Troy Bolton is a well trained, successful assassin assigned to the biggest mission he's had to face: to take the life of the President's daughter, Gabriella Montez. But when it all boils down to pulling the trigger, can he do it? So much for the perfect killer, right?

Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, only the plot.

A/N: Enjoy! It's the prologue.

**Prologue**

Troy Bolton sat in his hotel suite, lying on the best, unable to sleep. The flashes of light from the television kept him awake. The lights were still on though. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed loudly as he reached into his bag under his bed, and pulled out a manila folder, taking out the contents and tossing both the bag and folder to the floor. He'd just received his newest targets, the result of complete his last assassination feeling more satisfied then ever. He hadn't looked at the folder when he first received it, not wanting to be obvious and out in the open. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look down at the papers on his lap. He wondered if this mission would be as adventurous as the last one: the assassination of the politician currently running for a seat in the Senate, Warren Redford. He closed his eyes and relished in the memory, forgetting the papers in his lap.

Troy Bolton wasn't born into a family of assassins. It wasn't his destiny to continue the legacy of being cold-blooded, cold-hearted, ruthless killers.

But it's who he was.

He killed the innocent. He killed the guilty. It didn't make a difference. As long as the job got done.

Young, old, black, white, Latino, Asian, from the country, from the city, rich, poor, married or single, none of it mattered.

Death. Such a simple word, yet such a harsh reality.

He wondered, why was everyone dying to live, when they're only living to die?

If there was a heaven,he wouldn't make it to the gates. He had the stains and stench of dried blood on his hands, the blood of his victims.

This is what he did to people. It was his life. But what for?

He does it for the rush. It's like adrenaline coursing through his veins in anticipation of his next move. It's like riding a deadly roller coaster without a seat belt. Some said he was sick and twisted.

The painful, agonizing screams, the 'pop' noise that echoed when the bullet hit the body, the thud when the body hit the ground, the smell of gunpowder, the eyes that roll to the back of the head, the bodies that lie limp and bloody in the most contorted positions and the smoke coming from the barrel.

It was euphoric to him. But there was a catch. He couldn't be caught. If he was to be caught, he'd be exposed, or dead, even. He'd be the victim screaming, pleading for mercy and on the other side of the gun staring down the dark barrel of inevitable death. They'd laugh, just like he did, as his body would twitch on the ground from the side effects of the lead.

Honestly, his soul was already dead. He sold it to the devil a long time ago. He left behind the laughter, the joy, the happiness, the cheers. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed, or so much as cracked a smile even. It had been seven years since he lost his soul. He was staring at his next target, his next victim. He watched from across the street, standing from an office building roof of the secret society of assassins he belonged to, aiming his AK-47 precisely enough to hit him right where he wanted to, just for the hell of it. It wouldn't hurt if he got a little fun out of it. It didn't matter where he was shot, as long as the deed was done. He planned on shooting right through the middle of the large window and hitting him square in the neck. He watched and removed his hands from the gun slightly as he saw the politician appearing to smile and laugh heartily, trying to win over the citizens of the town with humor. He placed his hands carefully on the gun, to not knock it out of place. He placed his finger on the trigger, he counted..

"Three...two...one."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Four shots pierced the window, making it shatter eerily as he saw the politician stagger backwards oh so dramatically and watched the citizens, media, and dense bodyguards go into a frenzy, talking on their walkie-talkies. Troy laughed incredulously at the sight and felt proud of himself for a job well done. He blew the smoke from the gun and took it down from the tripod and walked back inside his office building and down the corridors to put the gun up.

He smiled to himself once more before coming back to Earth and opening his eyes. He took yet another deep breath before looking down at the paper before him. He skimmed over the first few papers, and soon found it to be filled with useless information. Those were just short little profiles on the soon-to-be-dead. There were 5 papers in all, but when he got to the last one, he saw a rather detailed and lengthy paper was much different than the other ones. He looked at the page to see a medium sized picture in the top right hand corner showing a girl with flawless olive skin, raven colored locks pinned up with a few strands tickling her cheeks, and her smiling profusely. He analyzed it over and over and was taken aback by her beauty. This one was much different from the people he'd killed before. The picture also profiled her in a tight, black, curve hugging red dress as she waved to the paparazzi. He couldn't comprehend the sudden beads of sweat forming, the drastic increase in heartbeat, the buckling of the knees, or why there was a tent slowly forming in his loose sweatpants. He shook his head and brushed the thoughts away and blew out a gust of air. He saw what could have been her name, printed in bold, black letters across the top. He read it aloud to himself.

"Gabriella Montez." _Montez_, Troy wondered. He read the 'brief description' part of the file that he wouldn't normally read. It stated that she was the daughter of the President, Gregory Montez. She had graduated _magna cum laude_ from Stanford University. Troy wondered why he hadn't seen her before, since he attended the University of California at Berkeley, which was only 32.7 miles away from where Stanford stood. He focused back on the words in front of him. He absorbed the key concepts and knew what he had to do. He picked the folder up from the floor, put the papers back in, and put the folder back in his back. In a matter of however long it took, America's sweetheart, Gabriella Montez, along with the preceding four, would be lying dead somewhere in an alley, a dumpster, or wherever he pleased in DC.

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There's the prologue for you! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I will enjoy writing it for you! Review please!


	3. Who Are You?

**This chapter gets slightly graphic so beware**.

Troy wasted no time in finding his first target. He was currently with his supervisor, Chad, who followed at an considerable pace, careful of not being suspicious-looking. Chad began to contemplate and observe the weariness of Troy, who looked like he'd been deprived of at least a 'half-course' meal for a while. The way he swayed wearily back and forth concerned him. He thought of giving Troy his revolver for extra protection, not wanting to take the chance of losing one of his best killers to something like fatigue and in case he was to go into battle, he wanted him to be protected. He stopped his thinking and continued to observe Troy. They were walking in the direction of the victim's house. His itinerary consisted of taking a trip to the Washington National Opera. He stopped walking with Troy and stopped at a bus stop, casually checking his watch and putting on a facade that would render him as normal as any other person walking the streets this day. He watched Troy from a distance as he prepared himself to kill.

Troy, however, was indeed restless. He had been tired up until the point where they arrived at the corner of his residence. He climbed up the side walls of the hotel building, jumping swiftly yet softly landing on the white balconies. He found an ajar window that was connected to the victim's room. He crouched down and looked through the window breathing heavily, occasionally getting some fog on the windows as he watched. He saw who he though was Samuel Lenksi standing up in the nude, with his neck arched back and his eyes to the ceiling as he enjoyed the sensations rippling through him caused by somewhere in his nether regions. His left hand went up into his hair and gripped his own, while his right hand gripped at the hair of the man beneath him, who was currently performing oral on him.

"Oh, fuck."

When Troy realized this was two men, he scrunched up his nose in disgust, and turned his head to making a soft gagging sound. He turned his head back as he heard the guttural moans from the man on the receiving end, as his reaction seemed to look a lot like his orgasm. He fell backwards on to the bed as Troy looked in confusion and hoping what he was thinking wouldn't happen next, but to no avail. The man leaned back, sitting up on his elbows as the other man got up from the ground and shoved himself into the man on the bed.

"Samuel!"

Seeing as this was too much for Troy, he crouched down away from view, hoping their little 'session' wouldn't last long. After ten minutes that seemed like forever to Troy, he turned back around to see the men slowly getting dressed, as they fixed their collars. The men kissed each other goodbye as his partner made his way to the door, opening it and leaving. Samuel followed, closing the door behind the other man and resting his hand and forehead upon it. This was the perfect opportunity for him to slither inside. Troy carefully maneuvered in the window to get inside the room, but froze in his tracks when he saw the man turn around, still leaning against the door. The man still hand his eyes closed, but he was now toying with the gold wedding band that he had just put back on his left hand ring finger.

There goes that adrenaline rush again. The sensation of power and predation coursed through his veins, thankful that the man was still oblivious to his presence. Troy loved having complete control over the situation, loving that he had the ability to turn the original situation a whole 180 degrees, to his liking. He enjoyed watching the surprised, breathless looks on their faces when they met with impending doom. He pulled the rope from his waist holster and looped it swiftly around Samuel's neck, tightening it with both hands. He saw Samuel struggle to take his next breath, as he laughed softly to himself. He saw the man reach up his hands to get the offensive object from his neck, to no avail. Troy pulled the knot tighter. He swiveled around to meet the man's eyes, wanting to take in his expression that got him every time. The man's eyes glossed as Troy held his death grip on the rope. His orbs widened as his face got paler and paler with each passing second. He definitely wasn't going to make it to the opera tonight.

"I control your destiny." He whispered hoarsely to the man.

Samuel still fought, determined to make it through this. He tried and tried, but the jerky numerous convulsions made his attempts futile. After a few moments, the man grew restless, succumbing to death. Troy let go, making sure that he was dead, and let him fall to the floor with a thud. The man lay on the carpeted floors, contorted in the most odd of ways. He squatted and loosened the rope from his neck, throwing it back to the holster on his waist. Troy got up and searched through the room, looking for what he came here for. He found the man's suitcase in the closet in the bathroom, took it back to the bedroom and threw it on the bed. He unzipped all the compartments and ransacked through them when he found a manila folder. He ripped it open, and found large stacks of money, restricted from bursting by a flimsy, yet effective rubber band. He ran his finger along the money, listening to it make a little thump and enjoying the little bit of wind created by his motions. He smiled to himself as he set the money down next to the suitcase. He looked over at the cold, dead body that was positioned just like the chalk drawings in the movies and evening news. He squatted down once more and took the man's left hand. He slowly slipped off the silver, shiny wedding band and surveyed it as he stood up. He wanted to keep this as a souvenir. He shoved it into his pocket, and the money was in his hands as he slipped back out the stiff window, grabbing his coat from the balcony. He stuffed the money into the inside pockets of his coat, straightened it, smiled and left the room, once more jumping from balcony to balcony on his way to the solid streets below.

As Troy hit terra firma again, he began casually walking the streets until he found his supervisor. He went into a small coffee shop where he told him he would be when he was finished. He walked in and to the booths that were situated by the window. He found Chad sitting and twiddling his thumbs when he sat across from him. He plopped down with a deep sigh. Chad raised and inquiring eyebrow and Troy reached on the inside of his jacket, pulling out a money stack just a little bit so he wouldn't ambushed if in plain view. Chad smiled and nodded his head as Troy tucked it back into his jacket.

"He's dead." Troy said whispering, looking around to make sure no one heard him.

"Good work."

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As a reward for Troy having completed his mission so flawlessly and effortlessly, Chad offered to take him to Washington's famous bar, the District Chophouse and Brewery. Chad was honestly astounded at the skill Troy had and how killing had become as natural as breathing for him over the years. He wondered why he hadn't had him as a part of his secret society before. He found out that this was truly what they had been missing for so long. He couldn't recall a prior mission flowing as easily and quickly as this one did. They walked to the back rooms to play a game of pool.

"You've got a lot of experience, kid." Chad said before taking a gulp of his beer.

"Yep," Troy replied. "Seven years worth."

"Tell me, have you ever worked with a fraternity of assassins before?"

"Indeed I have. Didn't work out though." Troy said, hitting the black 8-ball into one of the side pockets with his cue. He stood up along with his cue and took a deep breath. The two walked back to the bars in the front while their meals were delivered to them. As they sat and drank their foamy beverages and Troy ate his 24-ounce porterhouse all the while describing the assassination, Chad listened and munched on onion fries, he thought that he had never seen such determination, such adrenaline, such fire in him.

Chad looked at Troy intently as silence overtook their conversation. He was a man that wasn't disturbed by much of anything, but this time it was different. He felt goosebumps erupt on his arms and neck at Troy's demeanor. His method of killing was indeed surprising and baffling. Many assassins killed with a simple high-precision rifle, knifes, daggers, drink and food poisoning too. The level of calmness in Troy during the kill was mind-boggling to Chad. Many of the assassins a part of the society showed fear, anxiety, sweating palms and foreheads, exhaustion, panting, and illness during assassinations. But not Troy. He got a kick out of doing the dirty deed. He duly noted in his mind the expressions Troy made on his face as he described the kill to him. He didn't care either..he showed no signs of emotion or remorse when he killed. Chad shook his head trying to rid himself of his thoughts as he watched Troy devour the steak in front of him with his bare hands, tearing the meat apart recklessly as if he hadn't eaten in days, although he truly hadn't. Chad sipped his beer slowly, yet noisily and Troy looked up at him with a menacing look, as if words weren't necessary. He ceased his actions as his prior thoughts clouded his mind again. He shook his head wildly once more, making his curls bounce around agitatedly. He wondered one last time..

_Who are you?_

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**I'm sorry these are short, but I guarantee you they will get longer, just keep reading faithfully! Review please!**

**-Shaina**_  
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	4. Intro

**The Perfect Killer**  
**II **Intro  
**Summary** Troy Bolton is a well trained, successful assassin assigned to the biggest mission he's had to face: to take the life of the President's daughter, Gabriella Montez. But when it all boils down to pulling the trigger, can he do it? So much for the perfect killer, right?  
**Warning** Contains sexual content, violence, coarse language and other mature themes. Read at your own risk.  
**Genre** Romance, Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama  
**Disclaimer** Don't own HSM, only the plot, original characters/places  
**Author's Note** I feel so disappointed because I reread the prologue after I posted it and saw all my mistakes and that put me in a rut :( Her and her mother's dresses will be in my profile after I finish typing!

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The transaction of the money that Troy gotten after he completed his mission went through successfully. His supervisor, Chad Danforth, and his client, Peter Ortega, were very pleased with Troy's work. Peter even offered to give Troy a snatch of the money, but Troy refused, due to the fact that he only did it for the pleasure; plus he kept the man's wedding ring as a souvenir, so there was no need for anything extra. Chad happily handed over the more than $500,000 amount that was in the manila folder to Peter, and the deal was sealed. Troy's refusal also didn't stop Chad from wiring money to him secretly of course.

The next day, Chad and Troy met up again to talk more business. Chad had convinced Troy to let him take him to a warehouse that was also a part of their secret society of assassins. He met up in the slightly lit basement with four other men, looking like mafia members. They sat at a round meeting table. Troy inhaled the foul scent of marijuana, various types of alcoholic beverages, along with the smell of sex. The three men looked rather scraggly. As Troy and Chad entered the room, Troy stood in the doorway, scrunching up his face in disgust and watched as Chad greeted the men with a nod, that they all returned in unison. He was about to remove from his position when he saw three rather disgusting looking women making their way from the back room. In Troy's mind, no doubt they were whores, but they looked more strung out and on drugs than that of your regular harlot. They tried to seductively make their way to the three men in order to entice them, who all had stern and uninterested looks on their features. Troy chuckled at the womens' desperate attempts. They all straddled their own men in unison and began their weak ministrations. He could smell the impetuosity on them. The mens' faces remained the same. Of all the whorehouses Troy had been to, this one took the cake. These didn't look like the ideal whores, something much worse. One of the ladies got up and made her way (or should I say stumbled) over to where Troy was standing in the doorway. He rolled his eyes as the woman started to walk over to him. She reached up to kiss him, placing her hands on his shoulders, but he flung them off with his hands and walked away, his left shoulder colliding with her as he walked off. The woman looked stunned, pouting as she stormed off in the opposite direction to the back room when Troy sat down. When she got halfway across the room, she looked at the other two women with a look that said 'come on' as if she was the puppeteer and they were the foolish puppets. They hurried off the mens' laps and they all went to to the back room. One of the men that Troy though was the leader of the crew took a puff of his cigar and turned his rolling chair to face Chad.

"So, Mr. Danforth," he said, taking another puff of his cigar and blowing the smoke up into the air, "What brings you here?"

Chad cleared his throat before beginning. "Kenny, I wanted to introduce to you three, our newest assassin to the Secret Society, Troy Bolton," He said, hopefully. Kenny replied wordlessly and instead let a ring of smoke pollute the air. It was obvious to both Chad and Troy that he remained unconvinced. "He's already taken out the first of his appointed hits that we've given him," Chad added. "I thought you two..might make a good team." He finished nervously. Kenny took another puff before speaking.

Kenny looked at Eric silently, surveying him up and down. He scoffed at Troy's clean cut appearance that differed greatly from his own wrinkly suit that had the stench of foul play on it. "I see," he began, before he did a once-over on Troy again. "I must say I'm a little bit impressed, Mr..."

"Bolton." Troy finished with a stern face.

"Mr. Bolton," Kenny continued. "I must say, a man of Danforth's never looked as..professional, I should say..as you do right now." Troy looked down at the attire he chose for that day and nervously smoothed out his clothes for any possible wrinkles. This felt more like a job interview to him. "You drink, Mr. Bolton?" Kenny asked, taking a sip of his Brandy wine from his glass.

"O-on frequent occasions sir. Socially, I should say." Troy stammered.

"Would you like a drink?" Kenny said, ignoring his response halfheartedly. Troy's eyes went to the table that was before him which had numerous ashtrays with cigarette and cigar butts and dirty glasses, previously filled with wine. Troy could probably smell the lung cancer and liver failure in the room.

"I said I don't drink." Troy insisted.

"You said, only on frequent occasions. This here is an occasion and if you're as good as you say you are, you'll be here frequently. Take a drink." Troy looked around nervously before reaching for the bottle and a wine glass, and poured himself some. He took a gulp of the wine and immediately tried to spit it out in his disgust, but he knew if he wanted them to think he was strong enough, he mustered up enough courage to swallow the remaining bits. He sat the glass down in front of him, but pushed it away slightly because he didn't want to have to drink anymore of this unknown substance.

"And Chad here says you've taken someone out already for him, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir." Troy replied, flatly, the taste of wine still burning his mouth. "I choose to use my time efficiently."

"What do you prefer to use?"

"Whatever I have with me, or my bare hands, if necessary." Troy replied flatly again.

Kenny leaned forward and eyed him suspiciously. He then leaned back into his chair. "Well, son," he began.

"I'm not your son, my name is Troy." He snapped. Kenny chuckled slightly at Troy.

"Well, _Troy_, why don't you put your money where your mouth is? Come try your moves on me, and vice versa. Think of it as comparing notes." Troy smiled at Kenny's offer. He stood up, brushing himself off and preparing for 'battle.'

"You don't hurt me, sir, and I'll try not to hurt you." He replied, walking behind Kenny. Kenny motioned for the other two men to keep their distance. Troy kept walking behind him until he was at a considerable distance. He pulled out the rope he used to kill Samuel with and tied it into a knot, making a huge loop. He put his right foot behind him. Like a cowboy, he pulled his arm back and in a flurry of motions, he flicked his wrist and the loop instantly went around Kenny's neck, his eyes subconsciously widening in shock. Troy moved closer as he tightened the knot tighter. He could almost feel the bile about to eject from Kenny's mouth as he breathed in short gasps. Troy slightly loosened his grip, allowing him to breathe. Kenny got up from the chair and walked closer to Troy. He had a menacing look in his eyes, and Troy soon realized what was about to come to him. In a hurry, Kenny walked behind Troy, imitating his actions. He pulled Troy closer with one hand tightly wrapped around his neck and Troy struggled. Kenny pulled an ice pick from his blazer and held the tip near Troy's Adam's apple, slowly sliding it up and down.

"Impressive, Troy," Kenny said. "You're quick on your feet, but not quick enough." He took Troy's left arm and wrenched it around his back. Kenny leaned in to whisper in his ear, and Troy could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Ever seen the movie Basic Instinct?" Troy gulped and carefully shook his head, not wanting to risk getting stabbed in the throat. "Sharon Stone played Catherine Tramell in the movie, and she killed her victims with this..very..item." He said, punctuating those last three words sliding the ice pick up and down his throat as everyone else in the room silently watched in fear.

"That's your weapon of choice?" Troy whispered hoarsely.

"My favorite." Kenny replied. Troy felt something poking him from behind when he realized that Kenny may have been getting turned on by their situation, now understand the need for the whores. He tried to break away but Kenny twisted his arm higher as Troy clenched his eyes shut in pain and he pressed the icepick against his neck harder. "You may be a very well trained assassin, but don't think you'll get much farther than I have. I've worked with Danforth for a while now, but don't think you're his favorite now. I always have been, still is, and always will be the favorite. Understood?" Troy tried to nod when Kenny suddenly pushed him away, tucking the hand tool back into his blazer. Troy was now enraged, as he tried to catch his breath. Hot blood coursed through his veins, disgusted with the man who had a death grip on him a mere couple seconds ago. Kenny was making a mockery out of him, not taking him seriously at all. This enraged him even more as Troy walked back to the table, grabbing his coat and trying to head for the door. He stopped in his tracks, pulled his lasso out in secret and flicked his wrist once more as it went around Kenny's neck. In a repeat performance, he walked slowly as he tightened it even slower.

"Fucking bastard," Troy began. "Don't ever touch me again in your fucking life. You even think about touching me with your filthy hands again, I'll make sure you'll die the slowest, most painful death." Troy tightened it once more, wanting the satisfaction of hearing him struggle. Everyone else was still silent. He took the rope away from his neck and watched him stagger to the ground, twitching and trying to regain his breath. Troy put his coat on and stormed out of the warehouse.

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"I, Gregory Montez, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"Congratulations, President Montez." The crowds of spectators in Washington, D.C. roared in excitement, joy, and happiness as the 45th President of the United States of America was sworn in. The new President shook the Chief Justice's hand gratefully, mouthing a 'thank you' to him, then he turned around to face his family as they all embraced in a tight hug, sharing the victory of Gregory Montez being the first Hispanic man to run for and win the presidential election **(I have no idea whether this is true, I'm just making it up as I go along**). January 20th, 2009, history had officially been made.

In the following weeks since Inauguration Day, the Montez family prepared speedily for their move to the highly-acclaimed White House in Washington, D.C. The First Family's boxes had already been taken to Hotel Palomar from Albuquerque, their now former home. They would be staying there for a week while their items are moved into the White House.

After the rest of the day had taken it's course, the First Family, along with Gabriella's friends, Sharpay Evans and Taylor McKessie (although they weren't with her), had taken their second grand tour of their new home, being able to absorb it more than the first time they saw it, when President Montez was actually elected President. President Montez looked on like a little kid on Christmas morning, although he tried his hardest not to show his excitement. He made his own way from the hallways into the Oval Office, where he would officially begin his duties that day. His secretary had informed him that his family's bags were being brought from Hotel Palomar and that their rooms were being prepared as they continued their grand tour.

Meanwhile, still in the Oval Office, President Montez wasted no time getting down to slight business when he called his secretary in.

"Victoria?" President Montez called to his secretary, who came rushing over in a panic. "No worries, could you just escort everyone up to the family quarters?"

"Will do, sir." Victoria obeyed. She did as she was told. Mrs. Montez happily lingered in the formal living room going over last minute plans and expectations for the ball. "Congratulations, Mrs. Montez!"

"Thank you, Victoria," Mrs. Montez said with a huge smile. "I'll go check on Gabriella now."

Gabriella was in her bedroom, putting the few possessions she brought with her in place as the rest of her belongings made its way to the house. She listened to the soft music in her stereo as she got surveyed her dress for the inaugural balls she would be attending as the First Daughter. Right now, she was dressed more comfortably in a casual blue, white striped ruffled hem long sleeved tee and gray sweatpants that had her dad's alma mater, Penn State, across the side leg. She sang softly along with the CD when she heard a knock on her door. She turned her music down and walked to the door and opened it. She saw her mom, smiled, and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Sharpay and Taylor are here, sweetheart. Do you want me to go ahead and let them come in?" Mrs. Montez said softly. Gabriella nodded and her mother stepped aside and Sharpay and Taylor came into her room with huge smiles on their face. They ran to Gabriella and they joined in a tight hug, followed by squeals and excited jumping. Mrs. Montez laughed to herself before leaving. "I'll check on you girls later." They nodded in unison as Gabriella sat on her bed, enjoying the feeling as Sharpay and Taylor looked around the room in awe.

"Oh.."

"My.."

"God!" Taylor and Sharpay said in unison. Gabriella laughed from her position on the bed.

"Guys, it's not that big." Gabriella said. "Now that I'm used to it, I'm not that amazed anymore."

"It's only your second time here Gabriella," Taylor said, sitting next on her left side and Sharpay sat on her right. "How can you not be amazed at this?!" Gabriella shrugged carelessly.

"This isn't even the best part," she added, hopping from between the other two girls, "follow me." Sharpay and Taylor looked at each other unsure before following her. She went across the room and to a small corner where she opened a sliding door. It was dark on the other side. Gabriella turned around and make a gesture to her friends. "Come on." The three girls walked into the room and Gabriella switched on the light, illuminating the room. It was like a separate hangout for her and whomever she wanted to have over. It's aura was calm, cool, and collected; making it the perfect room that suited Gabriella very well. Sharpay and Taylor looked on in awe.

"This is so so cool!" Sharpay squealed in excitement. Gabriella laughed at her friend and then glanced up at the clock. She gasped when she realized that she was supposed to be getting ready for the inaugural ball she was attending.

"Oh God, I have to start getting ready, like right now! Go, go, go!" She said, pushing her even more awestruck friends out of the room. Gabriella allowed her friends to change into her room while she gathered everything to take her shower. She threw her dress that was still in the garment bag onto the bed and rushed inside the bathroom closing the door behind her.

---

**There's the first real chapter! I wanted to give you guys a look inside their lives (if you didn't already understand, which I doubt you could have). But anyways, review if you liked! Even if you hated it, please review still haha and tell me what I can make better so you can love it :)**


	5. Mission

**The Perfect Killer**  
**III **Mission  
**Summary** Troy Bolton is a well trained, successful assassin assigned to the biggest mission he's had to face: to take the life of the President's daughter, Gabriella Montez. But when it all boils down to pulling the trigger, can he do it? So much for the perfect killer, right?  
**Genre** Romance, Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama  
**Warning** Contains sexual content, violence, coarse language and other mature themes. Read at your own risk.  
**Disclaimer** Don't own HSM, only the plot, original characters/places

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Chad Danforth kept a close watch on Troy Bolton, his motives, his agenda, and his actions ever since the ordeal with Kenny at the warehouse, and also to observe his skills to realize Troy's maximum potential. He watched him like a scientist watched his lab rat, noting his every move, every breath, and anything else in between. He had gotten numerous more assignments, making the one that was last, Gabriella Montez's, pushed back farther and farther. Usually he only wanted to get the deed done and over with, but Gabriella's was different. He would get a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, just by looking at her. It wasn't the bad kind of feeling, it was one of lust and most likely heated desire. He knew he had to push those impulses aside and stay focused, because if he was off track for even a split second, his whole life could end with the yank of a trigger. He rarely faltered when it came to killing women, and he killed just as he would had it been a man.

Chad paced slowly around the shooting range as he watched Troy shoot at the numerous targets, hitting each and every one of them more flawlessly than the previous one. He had assigned Troy different tasks, and was more and more impressed with Troy's determination, speed, agility, quick thinking, and coordination; all needed to complete any task, not just assassinations. Troy used the abundant money that he earned from the killings to make his life a little better, in terms of material things, of course. He bought himself a cozy apartment from the ABQ Uptown Village and furnished it in a way that had a cool and calm atmosphere, much different than that of his public persona. Troy and Chad had become closer, beginning to build a trust in their employer-employee relationship, to the point where they could call themselves 'friends' even, but the two were reluctant to make it seem so. Once more, Chad invited Troy out for a small meal at a bistro, called St. Clair Vineyards, in a private section to talk business apart from the rest of Albuquerque's naive and gullible citizens, according to Troy.

Back in his apartment, Troy prepared in his bathroom, relieved that he wouldn't have to conceal himself on one of many of these spur-of-the-moment occasions. While one part of him was happy, the truth was that he was exhausted. Carrying out assassinations had never worn him out as much as his past ones over the weeks have. The stamina and everything else that came with it was energy draining. He just wanted to plop down on his bed and cached up on much needed rest, but Chad had other plans. They needed to talk business and they needed to do it now.

So much for relaxation.

Troy put the finishing touches on his attire before switching off his bathroom, bedroom, and the rest of the apartment's lights before grabbing his coat and going out the door and down the stairs to the parking lot. The small bistro wasn't far, so he decided to walk, also to clear his mind and blow off a little bit of steam and stress that comes with being a top assassin. He reveled in the feeling of the cool, brisk night air. It was 10 minutes later when he approached the bistro. He walked in the doors and observed the dim atmosphere decorated with warm shades of red, yellow, and golden hues with a little bit of brown.

He scanned quickly until he found the table he was designated to be at, the telltale afro of Chad being a sign. He walked around and greeted Chad with a nod when he sat down in front of him in the elegant chair, taking off his coat. Chad instructed him to sit and wait while he took a visit to the restroom. Troy complied and sat calmly in his seat until two mysterious men took seats in the booth chairs across from him. To his dismay, one of them was Kenny, whom he'd had a previous, rather violent, altercation with in earlier times. The other man sat down next to Kenny. Troy greeted the nameless man with a nod, and didn't even bother looking up at Kenny. The men sat in silence until Chad returned from the restrooms, rubbing his hands dry as he sat down.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Allow me to introduce to you, Troy, this is Bennett Clark, a master in the art of killing, much like yourself, and also an assassin partner of both mine and Kenny's." Chad clarified. Troy greeted with a nod, yet again before continuing to listen to the man before him. The man had scraggly sandy brown hair and blue eyes, much like Troy himself. He eyed Clark suspiciously before restoring normalcy to his features. Mr. Clark smiled and placed his hands on the table, intertwining his hands before Troy.

"Good evening, sir. I've been called here to speak with you about the assassination of President Gregory Montez's daughter, Gabriella Anne." The man confirmed. Troy felt a smile creep up on his lips subconsciously, but went back to his straight face. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He agreed with the man silently, letting him continue. "See, President Montez was a friend of mine. A friend who betrayed me, and I want you to make him pay the ultimate price. I don't want you to kill him. You see, I want you to take away his most prized possession, and I don't mean the presidency. I mean his daughter, Miss Montez." He pulled a square piece of paper from his coat pocket and put it on the table, sliding it over to Troy. Troy quickly glanced down at the picture, which was a duplicate of the one he received in his manila folder that rested at home. He looked down one more time before sliding the picture back to him. Troy looked on as if he wanted him to continue.

"The point is, I wanted her for myself, but she has ignored my courting attempts time and time again. President Montez has secrets that no one knows about. Only myself and him. I want her dead and lying in cold blood as soon as possible. There's to be an elite party tomorrow that I've heard that she's attending. I want you to go as well, and observe her, but be aware of your surroundings and keep a reasonable distance; we don't want you making yourself too obvious. I'll have Kenny here accompanying you. I want you two to go in through the side doors to keep your identities protected far better than those masks. Are you the right man for the job?" He concluded, pulling out paper with what seemed to be key concepts and instructions on it, sliding it both to Kenny and Troy who observed it intently. Troy was indeed the right man for the job, but ever since what happened prior to tonight, he wasn't sure if he could work with Kenny without there being more than one murder in one night.

"And the payment is?"

"I'm offering the both of you 60K apiece." Mr. Clark concluded. Troy's eyes bugged out in surprise at the amount of money, which could keep him set and up to date on apartment rent, necessities, and other luxuries. "If you would just sign right here," he said, handing Troy and Kenny two pens and sliding the last document towards the middle of their table. "the deal will be finalized." Troy took the pen and scribbled his neat signature, as did Kenny before giving it back to Mr. Clark.

* * *

The men finished up the rest of their night before going their separate ways. Chad and Troy walked back to their residences together, since they lived fairly close to each other. Chad had noticed Troy's uneasiness and contemplation when Mr. Clark proclaimed that he'd be working with Kenny for this mission. He was silent the whole walk until Chad decided to speak.

"The two of you will do fine," Chad said before taking a puff of his cigar. "You two are both exceptional workers, and the task will go off without a hitch." Troy nodded reluctantly and looked down before replying.

"I must confess..I don't like working with him." Chad sighed to himself.

"I have to say that I'm sorry, but no matter what our motives are..we have to learn how to cooperate with each other in this fraternity or else we'd go up in chaos." Chad replied. "Why don't you like working with him?"

"Remember going to the warehouse?" Troy inquired, clearing his throat ostentatiously. Chad nodded his head in agreement. "Well..when I was 'demonstrating' my moves and he did a 180 and did the same thing to me?" Chad nodded slowly once more. "Well, I believe he kills for different reasons than I do."

"What do you think those reasons are?" Chad asked as they neared their destinations, stopping on a corner.

"He kills for the sexual pleasure, that sick fuck," Troy said in disgust as he scrunched up his face at the mere thought of the incident. "He shouldn't even be allowed to obtain the title of 'assassin'. Troy finished. Chad looked at him confusedly.

"And what are your reasons?" He asked, soon before they parted ways.

Troy stopped walking and turned and gave Chad the coldest glare anyone could receive. This scared him a little, making him step back in fear or being struck by Troy..or worse. Chad knew, at that particular moment, he had crossed a line that he had no inkling of its presence.

"Me?" Troy asked, prepared to make the night's final statement. Chad nodded, slightly in fear. Troy cleared his throat once more before continuing. "Because I've endured pain. I've been tortured. I took years and years that seemed like a lifetime of cruelty..all done by human hands." Troy sighed a deep sigh and walked off into the night, making the rest of the way back to his apartment, and left Chad with a confused look on his face and his heart dropping to the pit of his stomach.

---

**Sorry it's short again! But please review, they do get longer I promise you! The next chapter is almost 4000 words, so I hope that makes up for everything!  
**

**-Shaina**


	6. Hesitation

**Disclaimer** Don't own HSM, only the plot, original characters, and Delaney Manor.  
**Author's Note** Gabriella and Sharpay's dresses and accessories are in my profile if you want a look. And thanks for your lovely speedy reviews! And as a reply to Si, I don't know if I'll go into Troy's past in the story or not, you got me thinking about that as well as whatever you thought was missing.

Chapter Four - Hesitation

It had been a week since Troy and his partner, Chad had been assigned their mission of killing Gabriella Montez. Kenny was assigned, but he soon gave up his position. Troy was currently asleep in the hotel he was assigned to when there was a sudden buzzing noise that filled his ears. He groaned and rolled over, hitting the snooze button on his clock without even taking a glance at it. He rolled back into his stomach to try to go back to sleep when he heard a knocking on the door. He sighed exasperatedly and threw the covers off his body and walked to the door, ready to chew the hell out of whomever was disturbing him. He opened the door and saw Chad standing there, leaning against the doorway. He huffed and rolled his eyes as he slammed the door in his face, leaving it unknowingly unlocked. Troy went back to his room, but not before hearing the door opening and then footsteps behind him. He plopped back onto his bed and threw the pillow over his head as Chad entered the room and sat down on one of the lounge chairs by the television.

"Get up, lazy ass." Chad said, watching Troy reluctantly move from his dormant position on his bed.

"I didn't say you could come into the room." Troy said, narrowing his eyes at Chad evilly.

"Obviously it didn't stop me from coming in," Chad retorted with a smirk, that resulted in Troy rolling back to the position he was in before. "Now get up, we've got targets to take out." He said, getting up from the chair and walking to the bed, keeping a considerable amount of distance in case Troy decided to pounce.

"Five more minutes.." Troy said from his bed. Chad sighed to himself before walking out of the room. Troy breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he would finally leave his home. Little did he know, Chad had walked into the kitchen and retrieved a pot of cold water..ice cold water, that is. Chad walked back into the room and over to the side of the room Troy was facing, with his face still covered, just without the pillow. He stood over Troy and splashed the offending substance all over Troy, getting his white sheets (and shirt) wet as he sprung up in surprise, but more importantly: anger. He shook his head roughly before speaking.

"W-what the hell was that for?!" Troy said, shivering as his teeth slightly chattered. "Where did that water come from and why are you fucking _laughing_?!"

"Because you wouldn't get up, it came from the faucet, and well...because it was funny." Chad answered his questions respectively before putting the now empty pot on the bedside table. "Now get up, we've got two women to kill." Chad walked from his room once more to not return. Troy threw his legs over the bed and got his necessary items from his suitcase to get ready. He mumbled one last thing before going into his bathroom.

"Ha fucking _ha_. Two women?" Troy asked, confusedly.

"Yes, two," Chad replied as if Troy was disabled and couldn't comprehend. "A Sharpay Evans was added into the mix. No go on, stop stalling and go get ready."

"Fucking bastard." said a very angry (and freezing) Troy before he slammed his bathroom door shut, being sure to lock it three times just in case his 'partner' decided to try something.

Soon after, Troy came out fully dressed and prepared to leave. Chad rose from his spot on Troy's living room couch and brushed himself off.

"Fucking finally, you take as long a girl does."

"You know, patience never hurt anyone." Troy retorted as he gave himself a once over in his mirror, then ruffling his sandy brown hair. "I'm not some little pet or bitch you can order around! You _need_ me for this mission, because God knows you couldn't charm a woman at all." Chad scoffed incredulously as Troy narrowed his eyes towards him.

"You think I can't charm a woman? There's more to me than meets the eye, Mr. Bolton." Chad said, crossing his arms over his chest like a little girl. "You're not the only one that can charm them." He finished, as the two began to leave the apartment.

"You probably tricked them, or drugged them or some other kind of sick shit that you could have done." He said, closing his apartment doors behind him.

"It doesn't matter whether you think I can or not," Chad replied, fixing his overcoat. "I am most likely going to have to, since you couldn't."

"Please, I'll have the bitch hanging off my arm before you know it." Troy said nonchalantly.

"We're not here to charm women, Troy," Chad began. "We're here to kill them." He said as he checked his surroundings to make sure no one would hear their conversation.

"You take these missions way too fucking seriously," Troy replied. "You should try pulling the stick out of your ass sometime." He said, as he kept walking. The two walked around the city, unsure of when they were supposed to be at the elite event. As the time went by and their walk of silence neared an end as they went back to Troy's apartment complex, Troy's phone rang.

"Talk to me." He answered coolly.

"Is this Bolton?" The mysterious man on the other end answered.

"Yes?" Troy responded, making it seem like more of a question.

"Have you and Barsocchini killed the target yet?" The man asked. Troy soon figured out that it was Chad calling him. He looked around for a safe place to go to and soon found a deserted alley to talk in private.

"No, we haven't gotten that far. Is there a problem?" Troy asked worriedly.

"No problem, but you two do have another task in the meantime. There's a man around where you two are, his name is Dominic. Dominic Deeley. He shouldn't be that hard to find. When I hang up this phone, I expect him dead in no less than 10 minutes, understand?" Chad finished as Troy listened on the other end while trying to fight away Chad who was getting a little too close for comfort.

"Kill him for what?" Troy said as he continued struggling.

"That's not important, just do it." Chad said before hanging up. Troy soon flipped his phone shut before leaving the alley.

"What was that about?" Chad asked as they continued walking.

"We've got another target," Troy said as he picked up his pace in search of the man. "And he has to be dead in at least 8 more minutes." Troy began to jog a little with Chad trailing behind when they got to another apartment complex. They stealthily looked around before seeing a frail man, who looked around in his seventies or eighties, taking himself towards the stairs to where he lived. They let him get up to his home without a problem as they took a different route to get to his door. They went another way up the stairs as casually as possible and let the man get inside his home. Having the man be as old as he was was an advantage seeing as how he forgot to lock his doors. The two pounced and barged through the door at the same time, scaring the man.

"Don't give yourself a heart attack old man," Troy said, cocking his pistol and Chad did the same. "That would leave me without a job to do." With their fingers already on the trigger, they aimed at the helpless man, but soon put their arms down when they saw an old woman, who looked equally frightened emerge from their kitchen. Troy and Chad looked at each other.

"I'll take care of her." Chad said as he aimed his gun across Troy's face and shooting the elderly woman at point-blank range, killing her instantly. He put his gun away and waited on Troy to complete his half of the task. Troy raised his gun once more at the man, whose hands were up as if he was getting arrested. The old man whispered a barely audible 'please' before Troy pulled his trigger, launching the man backwards as it hit him. He put his gun away and the men heard the panic voices of nearby neighbors. The two men jumped from a window, safely landing on the ground. The two men began walking casually as police swarmed the scene and made their way up to the crime scene.

"You made sure there were no traces, didn't you?" Chad asked worriedly.

"Of course I did, I'm not a fucking numbskull, you know." Troy replied as they kept walking.

"What'd you do with the bodies?"

"They're both in the closet, no worries." Troy said coolly. Within seconds, Troy's phone rang, and it was Chad calling once more.

"Are they dead?" He asked, without even a greeting of 'hello.'

"In cold blood." Troy responded, feeling a surge of pride and accomplishment course through him. "Chad got the old woman, though."

"Wait, there was another?" Chad asked, confused.

"Yeah, she came out from the kitchen the first time we prepared to shoot. He took care of her while I shot Deeley."

"Good work men," Chad remarked. "Now you just have to get Montez out of the way." He finished before Troy heard the infamous dial tone on his end of the phone. He snapped it shut and shoved it back into his pocket as they kept walking.

"Are you sure there's no evidence?" Chad asked. "The blood trail could lead to the closet and--

"Will you fucking stop worrying?" Troy snapped. "He's dead already so who cares? They couldn't tell that we did it anyway. Just relax." Troy replied, trying to maintain composure. "The party starts at seven," Troy looked at the time on his phone's LCD. "It's 4:30 now, we've got time to relax, then get ready." The two made their way back to their separate rooms to rest and prepare for the night that awaits them. Around 7:00 that night, it would be the beginning of the end for Gabriella Montez and Sharpay Evans.

---

"What about this one?" Sharpay asked, pulling numerous outfits from Gabriella's grand armoire as she sat on the bed, flipping through a magazine. There was to be an elite party tonight, and seeing as how she was the President's daughter, no one hesitated to request her attendance. Although Gabriella wasn't big on parties, this was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

"Too prom-y." Gabriella said, not looking up from her magazine.

"You didn't even look!" Sharpay screeched as she tore the magazine from her friend's grasp. "This is going to be one of the most elite, hugest events of the year, and you're acting like you don't even want to go!"

"Sharpay, I told you I don't like being around big crowds with all the paparazzi and flashing lights and crap. It's just not my scene." Sharpay narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"Bullshit." She muttered before going back to her closet. She scoured through it once more. "Turn on the TV or something, I can't take this quiet any more." Gabriella took her remote and turned on her television, which was automatically set to the evening news.

"Breaking news," a mysterious voice from the television boomed. Sharpay turned her attention away from Gabriella's wardrobe and to the television. "An elderly man, and who seems to be his wife, were found brutally murdered in their apartment. Police are still investigating the scene of the crime. His murderers are currently unknown, but police are starting to believe that the assailant or assailants were professionals. We'll keep you updated as the day carries on." Gabriella switched off the television as she looked down in sorrow.

"It's so sad," she began, almost tearfully. "I bet they were such good people, who didn't do anything to harm anyone. They didn't deserve what they got." She finished, sniffling. Sharpay nodded in agreement, as she went through Gabriella's clothes once more. She smiled widely and pulled out a ivory bubble dress. It had rhinestone straps with a ruched bodice with a silky feel. Sharpay felt it was perfect and it would look absolutely gorgeous on her. She turned around and called Gabriella's name to get her attention. Her head snapped up to see what she wanted.

"You," Sharpay began. "Can wear this." She finished, tossing it to Gabriella. "And as for myself, I will wear," she looked through her closet yet again. She squealed as she pulled out a white stretch satin one shoulder dress with a tie back sash and empire waist. "This!" She squealed. Gabriella laughed at her friend's reaction as to how incredibly pink the dress was. It was definitely made for her.

"Since you're probably going to bug the shit out of me for that dress, just keep it. I don't know why I bought it anyway." She said, rolling her eyes as she surveyed the dress Sharpay picked for her.

---

"Are you done_ yet_?" Chad asked from the living room of Troy's hotel room. Troy was taking forever to get ready in the bathroom, as he did earlier that day. Troy came out of the bathroom from his room and went to the mirror to look at himself again. His sandy brown hair was darker than usual, since it was wet as a result of coming fresh out of the shower. "You know we're on the news?" Chad said.

"No, really?" Troy said sarcastically. "I never would have thought that two brutally murdered people would have ever made it into the 5:00 time slot." He said as he smoothed his hair into its rightful place. He was dressed in a simple, sleek black tux with a white wing collared shirt, black and shiny round-toed shoes, and black and silver studs and cuff links to top the look. Chad had the same attire on, but he chose to let his shirt dangle instead of tucking it in, unlike Troy, who wanted to maintain a clean-cut appearance for the event. "Let's go." He said, straightening his blazer's lapels. The two men headed for the door and walked down the street to hail a cab. One soon approached and the two men got into the backseat (nevertheless sitting on opposite sides of the car). Troy called to the man.

"Delaney Manor, please."

---

The stretch limo that contained Gabriella and Sharpay slowed to a stop as they approached the venue. Gabriella could see the flashing bulbs and the screams that came from the paparazzi through the darkly tinted windows.

"We're his Miss Montez, Miss Evans." The driver greeted as he stopped. He unlocked their doors from his driver's seat and waited as they got out. Sharpay, ready and not wanting to hesitate in making her grand entrance, stepped out of the car first. The deafening screams and array of lights continued as she posed for the cameras. She turned to look Gabriella and gave her a nod of reassurance as she stepped out of the limo. The crowd surrounding the red carpet went even wilder once they saw Gabriella exit the backseat of the limo. She put on a genuine smile as she waved and posed to the people who were screaming. The whole feeling was euphoric to her. Just a couple years ago, she was just another student at East High no one paid much attention to. Now there were tons of people screaming and taking pictures of her as the President's daughter. She blushed as she felt the overwhelming sensations tremor through her. Her and Sharpay along with Gabriella's bodyguards walked along the red carpet and to the steps of Delaney Manor. She didn't feel like a celebrity or anything. She just happened to be the President's daughter. Who knew it came with this many perks? Gabriella sure didn't. She tried to take in all of the yells of everyone around her.

_"GABRIELLA, LOOK OVER HERE!"_

_"JUST ONE LAST PICTURE!"_

_"SHOW US THAT GORGEOUS SMILE!"_ That was the only thing she could really do, seeing as how she was clueless to what people did on the red carpet. She didn't comprehend how celebrities dealt with it on a regular basis.

_"ONE PICTURE WITH MISS EVANS, PLEASE!"_

The guards continued to rush Gabriella and Sharpay inside the venue, eager to protect them from the paparazzi and possible stalkers.

---

The small yellow cab jerked to a stop at the manor as Troy and Chad arrived. Troy looked from outside his passenger window. The manor was incredibly huge. It stood in its own remote valley and its own domain of pastures and meadow land. enclosed by an amphitheater of steeply-rising hills crowned with beech woods. Here the pearl-grey manor house with its enormous yews and attendant outbuildings form a remarkable group, nestling under the lee of the hillside. After paying the driver, the two men exited the car and dusted themselves off before walking to the steps of the manor. They tried to conceal their identities by walking around the lush gardens of the manor, trying to seem as oversuspicious as they could possibly be. They were drawn back to earth from their thoughts when they heard cameras flashing and the shrieks and squeals of overexcited fans. They stopped to watch what the commotion was about. Their heads turned to the right when they saw a blonde exiting the vehicle, the crowd still going wild.

She was dressed in the outfit she picked, and topped off the look with pearl ring, a black lucite flower bangle bracelet, a black satin bow clutch adorned with pearls and finally, silver stilettos with a rhinestone accent to them. She relished in the spotlight before turning her attention to what was inside the backseat of the limo. There was a bit of hesitation from the other person. Soon a tan, toned leg that shone in the moonlight exited the vehicle, planting itself on the ground before the other one followed. A young woman shut the door behind her as the two women walked up to the carpet, with two large men standing protectively in front. The woman's shimmering, midnight waves cascaded down her back as it contrasted with her olive skin tone and ivory colored bubble dress. Her skin was similar to that of a precious porcelain doll and a precisely arched neck that led to an outstanding facial profile that consisted of a small delicate nose, perfect rosy lips, high cheekbones, and brown doe-like eyes that were the poster image for innocence. She accessorized with a 3 row square rhinestone bracelet that shone in the night's stars and silver woven rhinestone heels. She was the epitome of perfection. She and her friend disappeared into the manor's doors as the paparazzi clicked their cameras uselessly, as though they were trying to get the last little bit of Gabriella before she left from plain view. As they disappeared, Troy and Chad walked into the manor with no problem.

"How could you get us in?" Chad whispered, once they got past security.

"I have connections." Troy said, not looking him in the eyes, scanning the room for the young women once more. He looked on to no avail. He and Chad approached their designated table that was complete with a bottle of Brandy. He opened the bottle and poured himself a glass, with no regard for his assistant. He gulped it down quickly as he examined the room again. He sat down at the table with Chad as he turned away from him. He turned back to the table soon afterward to get something to eat. He looked at the contents and was displeased with the lack of something worth eating. There were meager plates filled with finger sandwiches, small fruits, dried meats, and crackers. He poured himself more of the beverage and began to tune everyone else out as he went over the night's plans in his mind. He looked around again, tracing his finger over the rim of the glass felt his heart drop suddenly and the wine started to taste less than satisfactory. The sensation was unfamiliar. He saw her. He saw her associating, shaking hands and making friendly conversation with the other attendants. He couldn't believe it.

Was he actually feeling..nervous? Was he afraid of possible capture? His mind was flooded with thoughts that he disregarded before in his other assassinations.

_I can't do it_, he thought._ I can't kill her._ The phrase replayed in his head, but didn't acknowledge him as his own. He took another swallow of the wine, disregarding Chad's warning of not getting too loaded. He wanted the wine to wash down his thoughts. _Nerves always mess up the mission._ He thought to reassure himself. There had never been a time where he was so reluctant, so unwilling to go in for the kill. Except for the first time of course. It was that first time that had drawn him in to the world of ruthless killing, revenge, and the desire to kill.

He had always been one to kill without hesitation. He never missed his mark, was never off beat, and the plans went off without a hitch. He did it on his own accord, or by someone's orders..

....so _why_ in the hell was he thinking twice about it, now of all the times in the world?

---

**There's a pretty lengthy chapter for you. They're both at the party now. What do you guys think will happen? Will they meet? Will Troy get the job done? You have to review to find out!**

**-Shaina**


	7. Trust

**Warning: Contains sexual content, violence, coarse language and other mature themes. Read at your own risk.  
****Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, only the plot, original characters, and Delaney Manor.  
****Author's Note: Gabriella and Sharpay's dresses and accessories are in my profile if you want a look. And sorry about the confusion, there aren't two Chads, lol. I went back at the end of the chapter and did find/replace with another name and I overlooked that. Sorry and thanks to those who pointed it out! And thanks again to the people who responded to my author's note, I really appreciate your response to my 'dilemma' and I've made a decision. You'll just have to wait and see it though!  
**

Chapter Five - Trust

Troy continued watching Gabriella and Sharpay, but mostly Gabriella, from his table afar. He watched her as she interacted with the people who seemed to be entranced with every move she made and every word she spoke, much like he was. He gulped the last few bits of champagne he had from his glass as he kept watching her. He was battling with himself internally to figure out when to go in for the kill. But those damn feelings were coming back to him. He was still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. Dusting off his suit for the billionth time that night, he poured himself some more champagne, took his glass and stood up as he wandered around the prestigious ballroom of the Delaney Manor. Beneath a golden chandelier that sparkled endlessly, the room held the abundance of guests, enjoying themselves. No one here paid much attention to him though.

The men were dressed much similar to himself, with the exception of some frilled, high collars and tails. The women, some more flattering than others, wore lacy evening dresses with more than a lot of cleavage being auctioned off for the surrounding men. He saw how tipsy some of the men and women were equally and heard one laughing very loudly, to be exact. A servant walked by him with a silver platter of champagne flutes. He stopped in front of Troy and wordlessly asked if he'd like another round. He placed his empty glass on the plate and grabbed another full one and began sipping almost immediately. He started wandering around the room, with shifty eyes. He was lost in his 'adventure' when he was snapped back to earth by the booming voice of the figure standing in front of him.

"Good evening, sir." the nameless man said, extending his hand for Troy to shake. Troy hesitated before taking up on the man's offer and shaking his hand slowly. He forced a smile from his tough demeanor and the man's exuberant expression turned to one of a more frightened kind. He backed away from Troy and made his way over to a woman, whispering something less than sweet nothings in her ear. Their eyes went to Troy who still stood looking at them as he sipped his drink carelessly. The two quickly walked off in another direction. He got the last few remnants of his beverage and took a nearby empty seat. He looked over to his previous table and saw that Chad was dancing with another woman, that Troy saw as an advantage. The farther away he was from Chad, the quicker the mission would get done without his mumbling of nonsense. His eyes ventured around the room again before they met with the cleavage of a woman standing before him, who had the appearance of someone who had just one too many to drink.

"Can I have this dance?" She said, slurring her words and almost tripping over thin air, catching herself and clutching the ivory tablecloth in an effort to stay standing. Troy looked on in disgust as she let out a burp and covered her mouth with her gloved hand and laughed wildly. Troy stood and flicked his hand, making his way past her in the opposite direction and declining her drunken offer.

"No," he said, walking right past her. She scoffed in disbelief and took the liberty of following him, to his dismay.

"Why not? Am I not a pretty girl to you?" Her drunken voice said again. Uncomfortably with the close proximity between them, he quickly sped off in the other direction, hoping the other attendees weren't ask pesky and persistent, more so drunk as she was. He walked throughout the mass of people and made his way to Chad, placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him to face himself.

"When we go meet the target, please keep it in your pants. We're here to kill, not let her and possibly her friend get the notion that we're sex crazed." Troy said, giving him advice as he tore Chad from the woman he was with and making their way to Gabriella and Sharpay. They began walking as Troy sauntered to them confidently in front of Chad, who was still a little disoriented. Gabriella and Sharpay held their drinks and engaged in conversation when they felt another presence warming the side of them.

"Ahem," Troy said, their attention turning to him. Gabriella and Sharpay looked at each other intently before looking back at Troy. "Good evening ladies." He said, flashing his dazzling smile towards the two of them who lit up in response. Troy instantly locked eyes with Gabriella and their gaze stayed.

"Evening." Sharpay added before she cleared her throat, Gabriella's head snapping back towards hers. Gabriella ran the tip of her finger around the rim of the glass and looked away. Troy noticed the evident blush on her cheeks and chuckled to himself.

_Cute and shy, I see._ He thought. _Makes her cuter. _Gabriella looked back at Troy to smile sweetly and look back down again.

_He's really cute._ Gabriella's inner persona reported.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves," Troy said huskily, making Gabriella's heart flutter, stomach tighten, and heat rush to her nether regions. "I'm Troy. Troy Bolton," he said, kissing both Sharpay and Gabriella's hands, but letting his lips linger on Gabriella's hand a little while longer. "And this..man," he said, turning to gesture to the still-drunken Chad, "is Chad Barsocchini. It's very nice to meet you ladies." He finished with another charming smile. Gabriella and Troy locked eyes again and she bit her lip when a rosy pink hue flushed her cheeks.

"Gabriella," Sharpay urged, nudging her best friend. "You _are _going to introduce us to these fine gentlemen, right?"

"O..oh, right," Gabriella stuttered, trying to regain a sense of normalcy. "This is Sharpay Evans," she said, gesturing to her friend who waved and smiled sweetly. "and I'm Gabriella.." she trailed off, noticing Troy's intent gaze. Sharpay nudged her once more. "Montez," She finished as she glared at her friend evilly. Troy cleared his throat before talking again. "more recently known as the President's daughter."

"Are you two ladies, by any change, single?" Troy inquired.

"That depends," Gabriella answered, deciding to turn the tables and tease him, "Who's asking?" She said, sipping her champagne, keeping her eyes with Troy's the whole time.

"If you two are indeed taken," Chad announced, "then we have no business being here. Isn't that right, Bolton?" Troy took a stance on Gabriella left side and draped a muscular arm over her petite shoulders.

"You are right, Chad," Troy said, becoming aware of Chad's intentions. "You lovely ladies mind introducing us to the very two lucky men you're dating?" Gabriella and Sharpay looked at each other and laughed.

"We're single," Gabriella began. "But we may be looking to change that. You have anyone in mind?" She said, teasing him lightly.

"Well, I'll put it this way. You're not single anymore." Troy said, getting closer and closer to her face. Gabriella and Sharpay looked at each other again amused.

"Wow," Sharpay began. "Out of all the guys we've dated, we've never heard that one before." She said laughing and sipping from her champagne flute.

"All the guy's you've dated?" Troy asked, a hint of jealousy in his tone. "How many?" Gabriella saw his change in emotion and decided to tease him a little more.

"I don't know exactly, I lost count after so many," she said, observing her nails in a diva-like manner. "Do you know, 'Pay?" Gabriella winked at her friend, unknown to Troy and Chad. Sharpay decided to play along with the game.

"I don't know, I think there's too many to count, in fact."

"So, that means you two aren't as inexperienced as we thought." Chad stated. Troy removed his arm from Gabriella and turning the tables on the two females.

"Inexperienced?" Gabriella questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What my friend here means is that you're not the only two ladies that have gotten to 'know' people a little more, if you catch my drift." Chad explained, adding a wink to his statements that neither women found appealing.

"So what you're saying is that we're nothing but two pieces of eye-candy for you two 'gentlemen'?" Sharpay sneered.

"Ignore him, ladies," Troy said. "You two women are very different from the ones we've encountered."

"Different?" Gabriella said, her brown eyes meeting Troy's.

"No women we've met have ever spoken to us like that." Chad answered, making his way to an uninterested Sharpay.

"He's right," Troy said, his voice lowering. "I like that in my women." He finished, his gaze still with Gabriella with more intent on that last sentence. Gabriella tossed a smirk his way before swaying over to him, keeping him on his toes. The four engaged in more conversation until the topic of the murder of that elderly couple came to the surface.

"I just can't believe that happened to them, I hope the fuckers that did that to them get caught," Gabriella said, getting a tad bit angrier and she drank her beverage. Troy and Chad looked at each other, nervousness in their eyes but determined to keep cool. "They didn't deserve what came to them." She finished.

"Did they give the names of the assassins?" Chad asked stupidly. Troy nudged him out of Gabriella and Sharpay's vision.

Sharpay shook her head. "No, they didn't. It seems that there was no trace of anyone being there at all. The evidence was cleaned up quite well. It could have been anyone. It _is _a small world. It could be these two 'gentlemen' in front of our very eyes, but we wouldn't know." Troy's blood started to boil and his heart rate sped up at her accusations. He had to keep his cool though. He folded his arms and rested his hands coolly behind his head.

"So you think we could be the assassins?" He said, rocking back and forth of the balls and heels of his feet.

"Did you not hear me say that it's a small world?" She continued. "It could be anyone in this room, not just you two."

"Go home and check the news, if you want," Troy insisted, trying to end their not-so-playful banter. "Maybe they'll find a way to release the names."

"Oh, believe me, I'll check." Sharpay finalized, not taking so well to Troy as she was before.

"No need to be hostile," Troy began again. "It's not like we'd do anything to you two ladies." He said, giving a sly grin.

"And how would we know that, Mr. Bolton?" Sharpay countered. "Do you think we should trust them, Gabriella?" She said, nudging her friend, snapping her from her own thoughts.

"Well.." she began. "I guess we could trust you...for now, I suppose." She stated. "But if you start acting suspicious," she warned. "I'll notify the cops immediately." She finished with a playful smile.

"I'm sure you can trust us, Miss Montez," Troy said. "I'll grab the phone and make the call for you if anything otherwise." He stated, getting closer to her.

"I bet you will.." Gabriella trailed off when she looked into Troy's eyes and his hands found her waist. "You know, this party's getting really boring, and Sharpay and I don't have much planned for the rest of the night after this." She said, her fingers trailing up his toned body.

"I could think of some things to do," Troy countered, seductively. "I could take you out for a night on the town..or we could go back to my place and get to know each other a little more.." he trailed off. "But it's up to you."

"I'm up for anything." She whispered back, smiling up at him.

"So is this your way of saying you trust us now?" He said, bringing their torsos closer together so that they almost touched.

"You'll just have to figure that out on your own." She retorted.

"I'll take that as a yes then," he answered confidently. "Let's go then." He said, extending his arm for her to take.

"Let's go." Gabriella said with a smile as her and Troy sped towards the doors of the manor with Chad and Sharpay following behind.

---

**Well there's the party! What do you guys hope happens next? Review to find out! I changed the act of Kenny accompanying Troy to Chad, because where this is going, I can't see Kenny and Sharpay****. -shudders- Read and review!  
**

**-Shaina**


	8. In a Single Bound

**Warning: Contains sexual content, violence, coarse language and other mature themes. Read at your own risk.  
****Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, only the plot & original characters.****  
Author's Note: I'm not trying to encourage peer pressure to drink or drugs or anything else bad. This is only for the rating may change due to the nature of this chapter. **

**I decided to update with another chapter because I know most of you can't review chapter 7 again because of my AN :( Sorry! Here's a treat, so I expect some good reviews!**

**You're welcome :)  
**

Chapter Six - In a Single Bound

The uproar of the four bar guests' laughter rang through the slightly empty bar, consisting of them, a few other people, and the bartender. The hiccups of Sharpay and belches of the men rang out into the late night atmosphere of the bar. There were a row of numerous empty shot glasses that sat before them as the bartender watched their amusement and continued cleaning the glasses. The four managed to escape the party unnoticed, which was indeed proved to be a hard task, seeing as how Gabriella was the First Daughter and couldn't go many places without some type of protection. She devised an elaborate plan that consisted of a lot more wine and a little less innocence with her two bodyguards, who didn't seem to care much about her safety in the first place.

"So are you two from around here?" Sharpay asked, sipping her Peach Blossom drink and hiccuping.

"No, we're just here to take care of business," Troy answered, signaling to the bartender to bring another round. His intentions weren't to get as toasted as they had already gotten, things had just gone a little out of control.

"Very well," Sharpay began, hiccuping again. "How long are you two going to be here?" Troy opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"It depends on how long the business takes." Chad finished. "We may be here another few months, weeks, hell, even years." Sharpay nodded in a buzzed daze when she noticed Gabriella sitting and looking off into what could have been a completely different world.

"Gabriella," Sharpay inquired. "Why don't you have a drink, loosen up and relax!" She finished, beaming and taking another gulp of the tangy drink. Gabriella blushed furiously and shook her head no.

"I..I don't drink." She answered in a hushed voice, almost inaudible.

"Well, we're going to have to change that," Troy chimed in. He took his cup and an empty one and poured some of into the empty glass and slid it over to Gabriella. She looked at the martini glass and back up at Troy, then to the glass again. She shook her head no, and slid it back to him. "Oh come on, one drink won't hurt you. Just try it." He said, pushing the glass back to her. Gabriella took the glass, all the while keeping her eyes on Troy as they darted from his eyes, to Sharpay's and to the glass in her petite hand. "Just a little sip, for me?" He said, eying her carefully. Gabriella sighed in defeat. She figured that she might as well get it over with, just to shut him up in the process. She looked up at him nervously again and to Sharpay, who gave her a nod of encouragement. Gabriella used her free hand to pinch her nostrils and she brought the glass to her lips and quickly chugged it. She set the glass down and let go of her nose, as she responded negatively to the taste of the harsh substance going down her throat. She smacked her lips, trying to get the taste out and waved to the bartender. She croaked out 'water' to him and he nodded, pouring her a glass and sliding it across the bar to her end. She gulped the water down. All the while, Sharpay whooped and hollered as Troy and Chad exchanged glances with a meaning only known for the two of them. Her eyes went back to Troy who gave her a knee-weakening wink.

Gabriella hiccuped and placed her hand on her chest in surprise to steady herself. Since she had never drank before, the alcohol had a different effect on her. She was fighting a battle inside on whether to just let the rest of the night take its course or to go home. But then again, she was tired of having the good-girl image and that damned innocent persona she obtained in high school. She smirked to herself and took the rest of Troy's glass of his drink and finished it off. The other three looked at her in awe as she flushed down a few more glasses. She picked up the fourth glass when a hand grabbed her small wrist.

"Gab," Sharpay chimed in, growing concerned. "Are you okay? I think you need to slow down, this is your fourth, almost fifth glass."

"Shar-" a hiccup followed, "-I'm fine, don't", another hiccup, "worry-" one last hiccup, "-about me!" She finally finished, bursting into hearty laughter. She kept laughing as she flashed her friend a drunken smile, who smiled back, deciding to let the issue go.

-

More time passed and more drinks were downed until the four of them were standing outside the bar on the sidewalk that was illuminated by the streetlights and lights from passing cars. Gabriella and Sharpay had spent the rest of the time loaded out of their minds as they clung to Troy and Chad, respectively. By now their heels were off and were walking around the city barefoot. The four of them walked to find a space to hail a cab, when Gabriella's small frame collided with a streetlight pole. The other three looked on in horror for a few seconds, then let out a sigh of relief and confusion when she started laughing. She lay on the ground with her hands behind her propping her up as she tossed her head back and laughed into the cool night air.

"Who put that streetlight there?!" She asked to no one in particular as she laughed even more. She got up and staggered to her feet and made her way back to Troy. "All of you look soooo drunk!" She exclaimed again, laughing heartily. Troy tried to stifle his laughter to no avail. He let out a small chuckle as he looked down on the petite figure on his arm.

"Y..you don't look so great either." Troy's slurred voice spoke. He knew he wasn't one to judge, since he had offered Gabriella that one drink that spiraled into six more. Gabriella slurred and waddled from left to right, occasionally hitting Sharpay's shoulder, Troy's, and parking meters. "But, y..you Troy-" she began, hiccuping as she stopped in front of him and poked his chest with each word she said. "-you look the worst out of all of us!" She laughed even louder. Her small, delicate hands tugged on Troy's blazer collar as they traveled to the nape of his neck and entangled themselves in his hair. "H..how do you g-get your hair so spiky..so smooth..so brown, Troy?" She asked loudly as her alcoholic breath hit him in the face. Normally it'd bother him, but if it meant having one of the sexiest women in D.C pressed up against his body, he wasn't objecting. He let out a deep chuckle as she began to walk backwards and he latched a tight arm around her waist as she squealed in drunken excitement. She jumped up and locked her legs around his waist as he mewled in her ear and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, laughing as they kept walking.

"D-damn, Gabs," Sharpay said, her voice slurred as well. Chad's hands were wrapped around her from behind as she looked on at her friend. She was really in no position to judge, since she was nearly bent over at a ninety-degree angle while walking. The image would look rather suspicious, not to mention disturbing to anyone who didn't understand what was going on. "It can wait until you're back to at least under someone's roof." Chad and Sharpay looked on at the couple beside them as Gabriella kept giggling into Troy's ear. Troy felt the urge to take her and do the dirtiest, most unheard of things to her at that moment, but he knew he had a job to do. He insisted on other things.

"We need to get you home." He said to Gabriella as her warm breath hit his neck in an uneven pattern. Gabriella raised her head from his neck and pouted in his face.

"I don't want to go home yet, it's so boring there!" She said, locking her arms around his neck. Troy tried his damnedest not to give in to her pouting, but it was too adorably cute and at the same time, intensely insatiable.

"Gabriella, for Christ's sake, you live in the White House. Elaborate on the boring part of that." He argued.

"I just don't want to go home yet when I'd rather be where I am right now." She whispered seductively into his ear, nibbling on his earlobe when she finished her sentence. Troy let out a guttural groan, damning the fact that they were out of the streets and that their best friends were right beside them, most likely looking on in awe and disgust. One part of him was ready to take Gabriella right then and there, another part was waiting on Chad to intervene and stop him, and the last part of him was waiting for the alarm clock to go off.

"Well, tell me wherever you want to go and I'll take you." He said to her, proposing a mutual agreement.

"Wherever you're going is fine with me." She said, biting her lip all the while driving Troy even crazier in the process.

"How about back to my place?" He said, touching their noses together. Smiling profusely, Gabriella cocked her head to the side and shrugged carelessly.

"Kaaayy." She said, smiling. The four of them finally stopped walking and Troy, still clutching Gabriella, waved his arm to a passing yellow taxi. The tires screeched as it came to an abrupt halt. Chad figured that his home was within walking distance, so he and Sharpay bade Gabriella and Troy goodbye as they made their way into the back of the taxi. Gabriella was worried that the driver would have recognized her as the First Daughter and tonight's gossip would be tomorrow's headline. Troy noticed her worried expression and prayed that there was some sort of option to put up a screen between the front and the back, but soon remembered that this wasn't a limo and that wasn't a possibility. It soon showed to be no problem, since Gabriella insisted on snuggling into Troy and keeping her head buried to avoid embarrassment and exposure. It wasn't too soon before they reached their destination. Troy quickly paid the taxi driver, tossing a few bills and change into the backseat. With Gabriella still tucked into him, he reluctantly let her go so people inside wouldn't suspicious. He took off his blazer to give to her to shield her identity.

"Put your shoes back on." He instructed. She obeyed and he straightened his suit to toss away the insinuation that he was up to some things. She put the blazer on and removed the clip from her hair and let her curls fall over her shoulders and her face. They walked inside the hotel and Troy took Gabriella's hand as she kept her head down. They got to the elevators and Troy pressed the up button, waiting impatiently for the doors to open. After what seemed like forever, the doors finally did and luckily, no one else was inside. He snatched her in and quickly pressed the button for the doors to close and the button for the 17th floor. In no time, the elevator reached the designated floor. The doors opened for the last time as they ran down the empty hallway. They finally reached room 1732. Gabriella pushed him up against the wall next to the door and nipped at his neck as he ransacked his pockets for the entry card, getting even more distracted with every move she made. He thought to reach inside his blazer pockets. He did and found the key, pumping a victorious fist in the air. After his mini-celebration, he picked Gabriella up again, making her squeal and pushed the key into the slot. The light turned green and he wasted no time taking her inside the room. The door locked behind them.

-

He kicked the door closed and quickly pushed Gabriella up against it as he attacked her neck, making her moan loudly in response. He thrust his hips into her open legs, feeling the need to be as close as possible. She took his face in her hands and crashed her lips on his, kissing him greedily. His lips left hers and she whimpered as he attacked her neck and collarbone once more. She ran her hands through his hair and moaned due to his stubble tickling her skin, as he tried to push the blazer from her shoulders, and she arched her body into his so he could do so. She shimmied down from the door and grabbed his collar as she pushed him onto the love seat, leaving him in awe and wide-eyed. She swayed over to him and threw both legs on either side of him, making her black dress go up even further. The only sounds that could be heard was their pulses beating in their ears and the ragged, uneven breaths of passion. She put open-mouthed kisses on his jaw and to his neck where his pulse was. His hands mindlessly roamed over the curve of her hips and the curves of her ass. His hands went to her waist and caressed her stomach through the dress as they moved higher and higher. She moaned into his neck and his hands brought her face to his as they kissed. Their tongues battle for dominance over the other as Troy pushed himself of the seat, still holding her tight. When the need for air became too much, Gabriella snatched her lips away. They both stood in the middle of the living room panting heavily. Her bruised lips, tousled hair and shaky breath was enough to send him over the edge. Still panting, Gabriella pointed in the direction behind them, unable to get a comprehensible word out. She stammered uselessly and Troy laughed as he kissed her nose. They rested their foreheads together when Troy began speaking.

"Bedroom?" He asked as they tried to regain normal breath. She smiled and nodded frantically as he leaped from the living room to the bedroom in what seemed like a single bound.

---


	9. What!

**Warning: Contains sexual content, violence, coarse language and other mature themes. Read at your own risk.  
Disclaimer: Don't own HSM, only the plot & original characters.****  
Author's Note: Thanks so much for getting me to 100+ reviews, I really appreciate it! Strong sexual content in the beginning. If you feel uncomfortable, skip to the second part (when you see ---, you'll know) or go find a T-rated and lower fic to read.****  
**

Chapter Seven - What?

Troy hungrily attacked Gabriella's neck as he slammed her against his closed bedroom door. Her legs were currently locked around his waist and her elbows are his neck. His hands roamed undecided all over her body, not sure where or what to grab. Gabriella's hands were weaved in his hair and gasped when he found that spot that made her tingle.

_Gabriella, you're drunk! _Her inner voices said._ Know what you're getting yourself into. _Her mind was too filled with drunken lust and fantasies to listen to her conscience. She brought his face to her lips with her hands and crashed her mouth onto his. He thrust his tongue into her mouth without hesitation and thrust his lower half into the small crevice of where he was. His mouth left hers as he tended to the red spot he made on the left side of her neck. He kissed and nipped at it with his tongue to soothe it. His mouth switched to the other side and kissed down her neck again, making Gabriella squeal when he bit down on it. Pants escaped the both of their mouths as Gabriella tried to muster up strength to get his belt undone and Troy trying to get her dress off.

"_How_ do you get this shit off?" He muttered angrily, searching for any type of possible zippers or buttons. She giggled and pushed her hands away from him, which instantly went to her waist, pulling her tightly against him. Her arms reached up and behind her as she undid the tie around her neck as the top of the dress fell, revealing the black lace strapless bra she wore underneath. Troy stopped his ministrations and took in the beautiful sight before him. He slowly moved back and let the remainder of the dress slink to the floor, leaving her in her black lace lingerie set. His lust-clouded eyes looked her up and down as a blush rose on her cheeks. He smiled to himself as his right hand went around her back, swiftly unsnapping the bra. He tossed it somewhere behind him, his mouth immediately going to her breast. Gabriella moaned and pushed his head into her chest more. She gripped his hair harder when his tongue went around her hardened nipple. He switched to the other side, giving the same attention to her other one. She opened her mouth to speak, croaking slightly before she got a word out.

"What was...the point in--oh god...coming into the-ooh..bedroom..if we don't go to the bed?" Gabriella squeaked out. Troy's eyes met hers and he smiled before replying.

"Good point." He pushed off the wall with his right hand and made their way to the king sized bed. Gabriella felt more heat rushing to her nether regions as Troy went back to his assault on her chest. She arched her body up into him as she pulled him back up, giving him a sweet kiss. He pulled away to break it off, when she pulled her head back down to his, rejoining their lips. They got lost in the world of hormones and ecstasy as she ripped off his clothing, soon making different piles over the room. He kissed down her body as she gnawed on her lips, and by now, he only was clad in boxers. His right hand went down to her clit, rubbing it through her moist underwear. She gasped and arched up into him again, begging for more. She squirmed and whimpered below him as he smiled triumphantly. He kissed her lips again, capturing Gabriella's moan, which sent him over the edge. He brought his middle and index finger to the waistband slowly as she squirmed even more. He used the rest of the fingers to grip the offending article, ripping it off of her. She gasped and looked down to see the torn panties. She pouted to him,

"Those were my favorite pair." She said, panting heavily.

"You'll get more." He said before reconnecting their lips. His middle finger rubbed up and down her folds tortuously before plunging two fingers into her. She arched up and moaned loudly as he felt his digits moistening from her juices. He thrust in and out as she bucked her hips in response, desperate for release.

"Troy..." she gasped from beneath him. The sound of her voice drove him to pump faster and harder, adding a third finger. "Oh, my god, that's.." she panted more. "I want more, Troy. Please give me more." She mewled into his ear. He felt her walls tighten as he pumped mercilessly and used his thumb to sweep over her swollen nub. Her head thrashed back and forth as she gripped the sheets trying to stay grounded.

"Let go, just let go, Gabriella." He huskily whispered. Her hips bucked to the point where he was sure they would become detached from her body. She tightened more and more around him as her orgasm hit, white flashes before her eyes. A loud moan crept from her lips as her legs wound around his waist and she gripped his body, breathing in shaky gasps. He slowly pulled his fingers from her, pushing slightly on her nub, making her essence flow from her onto his fingers and the sheets below. He licked his fingers clean, all the while keeping his eyes locked with hers. She leaned up and whispered naughtily into his ear, "My turn." Troy felt himself beneath Gabriella as she straddled him. She crawled up his body, locking her hands with his above his head. Her feet locked onto his waist as she pushed his boxers off, sliding back down.

"I want you to watch me, and if you don't; I'll stop." She threatened, giving a sweet smile afterward.

She grasped him firmly, making him gasp. He wouldn't dare let his eyes leave the heavenly sight before him. If someone had told him years ago that he'd be on his bed, preparing for America's Sweetheart to blow him, he wouldn't believe it. But here he was, frozen into the bed, waiting for her to begin. Teasing him, she slowly eased him into her mouth. He wanted throw his head back and dig it into the pillows, but he knew she'd stop, so he didn't take that risk. He moaned as she rolled her tongue up, down, and all around his hard shaft. She used one hand to cup his balls, running her manicured fingernail over them tantalizingly. He bucked his hips slightly in response. Her tongue spiraled up and down more as her fingernails ran over the v-cut he obtained from countless gym visits, apparently. Her chair tickled his chest as she bobbed her head faster. She looked up at him, winking and still sucking. His hips and her mouth moved in synchronization with each other.

"Fuck, Gabriella..I'm gonna..Gabriella, I'm gonna..." Hearing these words, she went at an unthinkable pace, inching him closer and closer to his release. His orgasm soon came as he gripped Gabriella's hair and head, pushing her mouth down farther as she captured and swallowed hungrily. She slowly took her mouth off of him, licking the tip teasingly. She smirked up at him and crawled up his body and crashing her lips onto his, giving him a taste of his own self. Troy didn't seem to mind, and on that note, he flipped them and not breaking the kiss as she lay beneath him, wrapping her legs around his waist. He kissed down her body as she waited in anticipation. Once down to her nether regions, he spread her legs, keeping them apart with his elbows. He ran a finger along her slit, making her gasp. He pried open her folds with his two pointer fingers and blew hot and cold air on her center. He kissed her clit as she moaned in pleasure. He delved his tongue into her making her moan louder as he tasted her. She weaved her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. He smiled feeling a gush of wetness seep onto his tongue. His tongue darted up and down as she bucked wildly. He held her tightly so she wouldn't squirm.

"Oh..," she moaned. "Oh, my god, Troy..Troy!" She said, thrashing her head back and grabbing the headboard.

"You're so wet, baby..tell me what you want." He mumbled into her folds, before licking her entrance. More of her juices leaked out and he cleaned them up desperately. She mumbled incoherently as he teased her clit. He moved his lips over the swollen nub that begged for attention and he sucked it into his mouth, feeling her slightly tremble in his hands.

"Oh fuck, Troy.." She began.

"Mhm?" He mumbled, sucking her faster.

"I'm gonna...God, I think I'm gonna...." His tongue pressed against the nub before going back to sucking on it. He took one hand and used his thumb to press down on it in a circular motion as she cried out. His tongue swiftly went into her entrance as he rubbed her. "Troy, I'm gonna cum!" He licked her in a frenzy before she finally came, crying out into the room's hazy air as her body shuddered, trying to recover. He crawled back on top of her and brushed a sweaty curl from her face as she tried to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes, he attacked her mouth again, letting her taste herself like she did to him before. He spread her legs wider when Gabriella put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"What's wrong?" He said, half-angry, half-excited. Was she really about to tell him to stop after all that they had done?

"I don't want you to go slow..," she began. "I want it rough..and fast..and hard." She said in between breaths. Troy smiled and leaned back down to kiss her. He ran his fingers over her clit again before positioning himself at her entrance. He broke the kiss, looking into her eyes. She nodded and reconnected their lips. She pulled away and screamed when he plunged into her. She arched her back and wound her legs around him, her nails leaving crescent-shaped indentations and scratch marks on his shoulders and back. He buried his head into her neck, taking in the unforgettable scent of her. He pumped into her mercilessly from the beginning, kissing her neck and leaving more and more marks. His grunts, her moans and pleads, and the continuous wet, slapping noises filled the air.

"You're so tight," he muttered into her neck. "But, God, do you feel amazing." He said, kissing her jawline.

"Oh god," she moaned. "Fuck yes, Troy, fuck me harder." She pulled almost searingly painfully on his hair, which was exhilarating to Troy. Later, he then raised his upper body and interlaced their fingers on either side of her head as he continued pounding. "Please go faster, Troy..just a little faster." He sped up and thrust so feverishly, it was almost inhuman.

"I want you to scream my name," he demanded. "Scream it."

"Troy.." she whimpered, almost inaudibly. Her body went backwards and her moans went in sync with the squeaks of the bed and the headboard pounding into the wall.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you. What was that?" He mumbled into her soft, satin-like skin.

"Troy," She said, her voice slightly rising in volume.

"You're not fucking loud enough," he said. "I said,_ scream_ it." Despite how demanding and aggressive he was being, it wasn't helping Gabriella's speech get any better. His voice tone only added to her enticement level, making it harder to speak with each second. She opened her mouth and croaked out something incoherent, which led Troy to take her left leg and push it to the bed, making her cry out more.

"Oh fuck, Troy!" She finally screamed in a throaty voice. He rammed into her just like she wanted. "Troy!" She arched her back to the point of no return as he pounded.

"That's what I'm talking about, " he began with a groan. "Come with me, Gabriella." He said, rubbing on her clit with his thumb, yet again. Gabriella's eyes were clenched shut and her mouth wide open, getting more dry by the second.

"I said fuck me harder, Troy, harder!" She said, gripping the headboard as he obeyed. He pulled her body towards him and flipped them over so that she was on top now. He pounded into her from below as she bit down onto his shoulder. She loved the feeling of him slamming against her cervix and his fingers on her again. He looked straight ahead and adored the beautiful sight before him as she jiggled with each mind-blowing thrust. He gave one more press to her clit as she cried out into the air, her orgasm taking her over. Troy soon followed and she felt his hot liquid coursing through her. He pumped lazily into her a few more times before collapsing next to her. The smell of sweat and sex engulfed the room. Their sweaty bodies shone in the moonlight that came from the curtains. Gabriella lay wide-eyed, struggling to get her breathing patterns in control, as Troy lay beside her, his hands around her waist. He pulled her on top of him, lying limp against his chest as she licked her lips to regain some type of moisture from having her mouth open so long. The two of them panted heavily as his hands ran across her back, his face buried into her soft, sweet-smelling hair as she clutched to him like her life depended on it. He kissed the top of her head as they both drifted into a deep sleep.

---

Chad and Sharpay slowly and tortuously made their way back to the hotel he and Troy were staying in, Chad keeping a close watch on her to make sure she wouldn't do anything that would put her in the hospital or on the morning news. "So, anyway," Chad began, rambling on and on in a rant as Sharpay stay firmly attached to his arm, "I told Troy there was no way he could beat _me_, of all people, in a drinking contest! And he was like 'Yeah, I can' and I was like 'No, you can't!' So we tried, and I won of course." He finished his musings with the proudest smile on his face.

"S-sounds," _hiccup_, "exc-citing." Sharpay looked at her surroundings as the two wandered down the dark streets in the late hours of the night, or early morning. "Where did your friend and Gabriella--," _hiccup_, "-go?"

"Somewhere fucking each other like rabbits.. or at least _recovering _from fucking each other like rabbits." He replied nonchalantly. He noticed the blonde slightly stir and tense up at his extemporaneous statement and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" Sharpay looked up at him with a reassuring smile, then flipped her hair off her shoulder, showing that she still had a smidgen of sobriety left. Chad, still under the influence, just nodded and spoke no more. As the two continued walking they were met with the scuffling sound of feet against the pavement. Sharpay looked around before she saw a masked man decked out in all black brandishing a knife before them.

"Tell the bitch to give me her bag and jewelry." The gruff voice demanded. Sharpay looked at Chad, who was looking at the man before him blankly. "Didn't you fucking hear me? Give me your money!"

"Stay back," Chad whispered, pushing the frozen Sharpay behind him. He took a few steps towards the man, who was now grinning sadistically with an evil glint in his eyes.

"How cute," he responded to Chad's gesture, "that'll make it more fun when I take your little slut and fuck the daylights out of her right before your eyes, won't it?" The man growled before charging at Chad, whose vision was becoming even more blurry than it already was. It blurred, became clear, then blurred again. The man raised his knife and aimed for Chad's neck, but Chad quickly responded and took the man's right hand and twisted it, making him instantly drop the knife. He then used his other hand to send a fist towards the assailant's gut, sending him backwards with the force. Chad caught the knife and threw the knife directly into the man's arm, hearing him yowl in pain as the knife penetrated his skin and a liquid seeped from his arm. He heard Sharpay's squeal behind him, and turned around to see a man with her in a tight choke hold. He soon brandished a knife of his own as he took his hand and placed it over her mouth, muffling her screams. He put the tip of the blade and pressed it against Sharpay's pale neck, running it slowly up and down the side. She bit her lip and whimpered at the man's actions.

"Let her go," Chad growled as he reached inside his suit and pulled out a silver Beretta 92 pistol and cocked it, setting the bullets into place as he aimed for the man with his hands on Sharpay. He turned his head swiftly to check the other man on the ground, who was slowly succumbing from the loss of blood. He turned back to the man's accomplice and aimed once more. "I mean it." He saw the man's grisly expression soften, and Sharpay took the chance to take hold of the hand he held the knife in, while swiftly jabbing her elbow into his ribs. The man grunted as he dropped the knife, which Sharpay retrieved, and stumbled backwards as he coughed harshly. She turned from the man to face Chad, stumbling slightly. Chad rushed to her side to help her get steady.

"Let's go." He ordered as the two made their way back to the hotel.

---

The morning beams of sunshine hit Gabriella in the face as she mumbled something incoherent and scowled. She tried to turn over, but was met with resistance. Furrowing her eyebrows, she opened her eyes and looked down to see a rather well-toned arm slung over her tiny waist. Her eyes trailed from there up, until she was met with the body of none other than Troy.

A _naked _Troy at that.

Her brown eyes widened like saucers. She looked back down when she felt a breeze and was astonished to see that she was naked as well, letting out a small shriek and pulling the covers over her. Troy jolted from his sleep into an upright position. "What's going on?"

"Troy, what am I doing here?!" She shrieked again, scrambling out of the bed wrapped in only a white sheet as she scrambled to find her clothes. "My parents are probably having a fucking _conniption _because I'm not home! And the tabloids.. oh fuck.." She searched frantically around the room for her belongings. "Where's my dress, my shoes, my bag, my bra and--" she stopped in her tracks when she found each item as she called them out respectively, finding her lower body undergarment. "Why is my underwear fucking _torn_?! What the fuck happened last night?" She breathed out, as she felt the hangover of a lifetime coming back to rear its ugly head.

"What do you _think _happened if both our clothing items are scattered across the floor.. and suspended from a ceiling?" Troy responded in a rather calm tone, upsetting Gabriella. "And...erm, sorry about your underwear." He sort-of-not-really sheepishly remarked.

---

Gabriella walked into the hotel room's living room, throwing her tattered belongings on the couch. After showering, she was dressed in one of Troy's shirts and a pair of his boxers, as Troy sat in the kitchen throwing on his clothes he brought with him. "Well, how exactly do you think we ended up back here?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know how we got here?"

"Well, we must have done _something _that led to us naked in _your _bed!" Gabriella huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. "Can you remember _anything_?" Troy shrugged.

"Weren't Chad and your friend -- hyperactive blonde, big, poofy blond hair -- with us?" Both Troy and Gabriella's heads were pounding as they tried to remember the previous night's events. "All I can remember is the party at the manor, and then it all goes blank from there.." he trailed off. Gabriella nodded in agreement.

"Same here. We should go find them." She declared, moving from the couch. "Maybe they can give us some answers." The two left Troy's room and sauntered over to Chad's. "Chad?" She softly called out, as she rapped on the door.

No answer. Gabriella tried again.

_Still _no answer.

Troy growled, impatient with his friend and took his fist, pounding on the door.

"Can I have one _goddamn _minute?!" Chad yelled from the other side of the door. Soon enough, Chad flung open the door, only dressed in flannel pajama pants. His angry expression changed into one of confusion. "Troy, why is she wearing your--", then realization dawned upon him. "Oh.." he trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as Troy scowled at him.

"Where's Sharpay?" Gabriella countered, pushing past Chad and into the suite, through to the bedroom. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Sharpay sleeping soundly-- and loudly, but clothed-- in the bed. Gabriella smiled at the adorable sight before turning to Chad. "And where did you sleep?"

"On the couch," he retorted proudly. "You didn't think I'd take advantage of your friend in her oh-so-inebriated state, did you?" He closed the still-open door behind them all. "So, to what do I owe for this early visit?"

"We were kind of wondering.." Troy began. Only one simple, six-word sentence could sum up their visit at eight in the morning.

"What the _fuck _happened last night?"


	10. Chapter 10

I want to say, first of all, thank you to everyone who played a part in making this story what it is. Thank you to everyone who read, thought about reading, reviewed, suggested to other friends and more.

Secondly, I'd like to apologize for the people who've waited so long for me to update. I have no excuse, except writer's block..and laziness. I had gotten a message from someone who was wondering if I'd abandoned the story. I replied that I haven't because that's true (you know who you are, if you read this :D The next chapter is dedicated to you).

Oh, and blame it on school too.

I'm just updating everyone to let them known that I haven't forgotten about this story, and I'll be updating sometime this weekend or next week :) I'll be replacing this with the real chapter, I hope you're excited!

Shaina xoxox


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